Cream-separator.



No. 689,87I. Patented Dec. 3|, |901, J. C. GRAY.

CREAM SEPARATUR.

(Application med Nov. l19, 1900.)

(No Model.)

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UNITED' STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH O. GRAY, OF AURORA, INDIANA.

' CREANl-SEPA'RATO R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 689,871, datedDecember 31, 1901.

Application filed November I9, 1900. Serial No. 37,065. (No model.) y

T0 all whom it may con/cern;-

Beit known that I, JOSEPH O. GRAY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Aurora, in the county of Dearborn and State of Indiana, haveinvented anew and usefnl Cream- Separator, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to cream-separators of that class which employs acream-separating agent applied directly to the milk, and has for itsobject to provide improved means for supplying the separating agent in acon- Venient and effective manner with the slightest-possible agitationto the vvolume of milk. It is furthermore designed to arrange the partsof the device so as to be conveniently separated for the purpose ofcleansing the same, and thereby provide a sanitary-device.'

With these and other objectsA in view the present invention consists inthecombination and arrangement of parts, as will be herein-v afterdescribed, shown in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointedoutin the appended claims, it being understood that changes in the form,proportion, size, and minor details may be made within the scope of theclaim without departing from the spirit or sacrilicing any of theadvantages of the invention.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a cream-separatorconstructed in accordance with the present invention.V Fig. 2 is acentral longitudinal vsectional view thereof. Fig. 3 is a detailperspective view of the distributor for the cream-'separating agent.

Like characters of reference designate corresponding parts in all of theiigures of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the body of the separator, whichis in the form of a cylindrical can or other receptacle, having an openupper end and a rentrant bottom 2, so as to form a marginalfoot-flangefor the support of the receptacle. in Fig. 2' of thedrawings, it will be seen that the bottom inclines downwardly andforwardly and also downwardly and inwardly in opposite directions atsubstantially right angles to the forward pitch, so as to provide agutter or trough to drain the'can'. A suitable faucet or stop-cock 4communicates with the interior of the can and is located at the As bestindicatedA l lowermost portion of the bottom thereof, so as toeffectively drain the receptacle. l

The open top of the receptacle is normally closed by means of aremovable lid or cover 5, having suitable handles 6 for manipulationthereof. This lid is preferably convex or conical in form and has acentral opening 7, from the walls of which rises a short tube S for thereception of a removable'cap 9, having a perforate top 10, so as to forma ventilator foi the escape ofthe animal heat and odors of the milk.

One or more longitudinal glass covered slots 1l are formed in the frontof the can, so

as to view the dividing-line between the cream and the milk for thepurpose of accurately drawing the milk and the cream separately from thedevice. Suitable screen covered openings 12 are formed in the upperportion ofthe canfor the purpose of providing additional ventilators,and a suitable handle 13 is-providedupon the exterior of the can.

. Located. centrally within the can is an imperforate tubulardistributer 14, which is employed for applying the cream -separatingagent to the milk. The top of this distributer is normally open and hasa perforate bottom 15, which is spaced upwardly from the bottom of thecan by means of suitable feet 16 in" order that the water containedwithin the distributer may be sprayed downwardly therefrom. A .pluralityof perforate radial sprayer-tubes 17 are carried by the lower end of thedistributer and in communication with the interior thereof. As bestindicated in Fig. 3 of the drawings, it,will be seen that the outerend'of each tube is also perforated or covered with a suitable screen 18in order that'the water' may not vbe suddenly and violently dischargedfrom the tube..

The inner end of the stop-cock yis protected by means of a guard-plate19, which is connected to the adjacent wall of the can by means ofahinge 20, located immediately above the stop-cock. This plate is alsopr0- Ico upper portions may not have direct access to the stopcock. Bythis arrangement there is no liability of the cream and the skimmed milkbeing mixed in drawing off the contents of the device.

In using the device the milk is poured into the can or receptacle, andthe distributer is placed Within the milk with its feet resting upon thebottom of the can, after which cold Water is poured into the distributerthrough its open top and from which it escapes through the perforatebottom and the perfor-ate tubes with the slightest possible agitation tothe milk and is applied directly to the bottom of the entire volumethereof. By means of the radial perforate tubes the water is appliedover` a greater area than is afi'orded by the perforate bottom of thedistributer. Also the body of the distributer is im perforate, so thatthe water is applied at the bottom only of the milk. When the separationof the cream has been completed, as may be discerned through thetransparently-covered slot in the can, the skimmed milk is first drawnoff through the stop-cock, and finally the cream, which rises to the topof the milk, is drawn olf separately from the milk.

From the foregoing description it will be understood that thedistributer is free to be removed for being cleansed, and the protectorplate or cap I9 is hinged to the receptacle in order that it may be heldin place and at the same time be movable to permit of cleansing thatportion of the can which is covered by the plate, whereby the presentdevice provides a completely sanitary separator. Moreover, it will beobserved that the cover and the distributer are entirely independent, sothat the cover or top may be removed for the introduction of milk, whilethe distributer remains within the receptacle, and also the upper openend of the distributer is in line with the central opening of the top,whereby Water may be introduced into the distributer without removingthe top of the receptacle. The open upper end of the distributer isterminated short of the cover, so as to leave the opening in the coverunobstructed for the free escape of the animal heat rising from thesurface of the milk around the distributer,where by the opening in thecover forms an inlet for the water and a ventilator for the outlet ofthe animal heat Without exposing the entire surface of the milk.

A cream-separator of the class described, comprisingacream-receptaclehavingan open top, and means for drawing off the contents thereof fromthe bottom of the receptacle, a removable cover for the receptacle andhaving an opening formed therein, a removable screen-covered closure forthe opening, and a water-distributer supported Within the receptacle,the upper end of the distributer being open, terminated short of thecover and alined with the opening therein to receive Water introducedthrough said opening, the opening in the cover forming a Water-inlet andalso a ventilator for the outlet of animal heat rising from the milk,and the lower p0rtion of the distributer having outlets for thedistribution of Water within the interior of the cream-receptacle.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aiiixedmy signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

JOSEPH C. GRAY.

Vitnesses:

CHARLES F. Ross, CHAs. ERIT.

